WeWow on the Weekend

Summary

Wow in the World: WeWow on the Weekend – March 22, 2026

Host: Dennis (with Reggie the pigeon, Guy Raz, Mindy Thomas)
Main Theme:
This episode of WeWow on the Weekend blends silly science fun with listener questions, interactive segments, and a relisten to the “Getting Nosy About the Science of Smell” episode. The show explores how and why people experience different smells, the science of olfaction, and the genetics behind our scent perceptions—all with humor, games, and the voices of curious kids.

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Episode Overview

• Theme: Science of smell and how genetics influence scent perception
• Core Segments:
  • Interactive Q&A with kid callers
  • “Inside Tinkercast Studios” relisten to a Wow in the World episode about olfaction
  • Silly games and running jokes about smells

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. March Gladness and Silly Games

• March Gladness Bracket: Dennis introduces the idea of a “March Gladness” bracket where you choose what made you happiest that month, a playful spin on March Madness. ([00:01])
• Game Time – I Spy: Dennis and Reggie play a short, comedic round of “I Spy”—with Dennis insisting he’s not cheating. ([02:29])

2. Listener Q&A

• Why Are Strawberries Red?
  • Dennis jokes, “It’s because they’re embarrassed…they’re kind of blushing about it,” before marveling at the misnomer of “gooseberries.” ([04:01])
• How Do You Understand Reggie?
  • Dennis credits “listening” and Reggie quips: “Social cognition.” ([04:56])
• Why Are Butterflies Called Butterflies?
  • Dennis speculates, “Maybe butterflies were supposed to be named ‘flutterbys’…someone wasn’t paying attention and wrote down butterfly instead. A happy little accident.” ([05:45])

3. Inside Tinkercast Studios: Getting Nosy About the Science of Smell

Relistening to Wow in the World, the hosts deeply explore olfaction in classic playful fashion. ([09:37])

a) Bottling Odors & Imagination

• Mindy claims to have bottled smells in jars, from “wet clothes left in the washing machine” to “convenience store smell” and “rotten eggs,” which Dennis famously says, “Ooh, that one smells like Uranus.” ([12:23])
• They note hydrogen sulfide on Uranus smells like rotten eggs—a real science fact stated humorously.

b) The Nose Knows — How Smell Works

• Mindy explains:

  “Inside your nose…are about 400 different odor detecting receptors…just waiting to catch the tiny molecules that come in through the air.” ([16:54])

• Receptors activate and send messages to the brain—deciding if a smell is good, bad, familiar, or new.

c) Smell Perception Experiment

• Mindy recreates a scent experiment (based on real research):
  • Neighbor volunteers rate the intensity and pleasantness of 150 odors (from cilantro to “Mindy toots”).
  • Example scents elicit different reactions: cilantro, asparagus pee, sweat (androstenone), parmesan cheese, and “certified organic Mindy toot.” ([26:06] onward)
  • Some find odors pleasant, others gross, and some not at all—a clear setup for genetic variability.

d) The Genetics of Smell

• Scientists in the referenced real study collected DNA from participants after a smell rating experiment to compare olfactory receptor genes. ([30:07])
• Key discovery:

  “Even the tiniest change in even one of the 400 olfactory receptors…could completely change the way one person experienced a certain smell compared to another person.” — Mindy ([31:07])

• Examples:
  • Some people think cilantro tastes (and smells) like soap.
  • Guy can’t smell Lily of the Valley; Dennis can.

e) Brain Connections & Memories

• Discussion on how interpretation of smell is tied to memory and taste, adding emotional resonance to scent perception.

f) Takeaway & Real-World Impact

• The ability to detect and interpret smells is a complex dance of receptors, genetics, and memories.
• Understanding this helps scientists—and us—learn more about food preferences, health, and even safety (like sniffing out harmful chemicals). ([32:14])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dennis on Gooseberries: “[Gooseberries]…don’t look anything like a goose. Oh, wait. Do gooseberries turn you into a goose when you eat them?” ([04:01])
• Dennis on Butterflies: “Maybe butterflies were supposed to be named flutterbys because they flutter on by you, but someone wasn’t paying attention…” ([05:45])
• Mindy on smells:

  “Inside your nose…are about 400 different odor detecting receptors.” ([16:54])

• Guy Raz: “…your nose has the power to tell the difference between at least 1 trillion different smells.” ([18:59])
• Dennis: “Ooh, that one smells like Uranus.” ([12:40])
• Mindy (on experiment results): “Even the tiniest change in even one of the 400 olfactory receptors…could completely change the way one person experienced a certain smell compared to another person.” ([31:07])
• Mindy (on scientific experiments): “Anything for science, Guy Raz.” ([28:58])

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Important Timestamps

• [00:01] Intro, March Gladness, opening banter
• [02:29] “I Spy” game
• [03:52] Listener Q&A: Strawberries, Reggie’s language, Butterflies
• [07:44] Transition to Tinkercast segment
• [09:37] “Getting Nosy About the Science of Smell” relisten starts
• [12:23] Bottling weird and wacky smells (Dennis and Mindy banter)
• [16:54] Explaining olfactory receptors and how humans smell
• [18:59] Nose can distinguish “at least 1 trillion” different smells—experimentation in the “ol factory”
• [26:06] Recreation of real genetic smell experiment (smell testing with neighbors)
• [30:07] The science: sequencing DNA, olfactory genes, what researchers found
• [31:29] Examples of smell differences (cilantro = soap, parmesan = vomit for some)
• [32:14] Real-world impact of smell science
• [33:25] Outro with slime jokes, barbecues, silly Dennis moments

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Tone & Style

• Whimsical, silly, high-energy; scientific concepts delivered with wordplay and playful logic
• Dennis provides comic relief and imaginative Q&A
• Mindy & Guy anchor the science in fun, accessible explanations

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is a great example of Wow in the World's ability to teach serious science (why we smell things differently!) through play, story, kid-driven questions, and imaginative skits. The genes that help us smell are as unique as fingerprints, which is why someone’s favorite cheese might smell like “vomit” to you! The show encourages kids to experiment, ask questions, and find wonder in both the silly and the scientific—while never turning down a chance for a good joke about toots or barbecued earthworms.

Notable takeaway:

“Our noses help us make sense of the world around us. How we use them is a combination of our genes, our memories, and sometimes, a little bit of luck—like being able to avoid a jar of ‘certified organic Mindy toot.’”

Transcript

[A]

Hello, Wowzers. It's me, Dennis. And before we start the show, did you hear about March Gladness? Reggie? No, not basketball tournament stuff. March Gladness tournament stuff. Yeah, exactly. March Gladness is where I think of all the things that made me the gladdest this month. And then I put them head to head in a tournament style bracket. Oh, so you do know what I'm talking about. Well then, as you know, the winner of my March Gladness tournament was my new haircut. Do you love it? What do you mean? Don't worry, it'll grow back. Whatever. Wowzerfams, you too can fill out your very own March Gladness bracket by going to tinkercast.com march there you can print your very own free March gladness bracket. Then fill it out to see what made you the gladys this month. Put your favorite things head to head in a tournament of gladness one more time. That's Tinkercast.com March. Now let's get on with the show. Ah ah ah ah. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. We wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on talking, laughing, me and Reggie singing, laughing. And then we. Oh, wait, no, I said laughing twice. Whatever. We wow on the weekend. Yeah, we wow on the weekend. Clap clap me wow on the weekend. Cause this is what we do on the weekend. Hello and welcome to We Wow on the Weeknd. I'm your host, Dennis, and that's my co host, Reggie the giant pigeon. This is the show where we hang out and chit chat and listen to episodes of Ticker cast podcasts. Hey, Reggie, wanna play a game real quick? Oh, come on, just real quick. I wanna play I Spy. What? I do not cheat at I Spy. That's a lie, Reggie. I'll play fair. Promise? Promise.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, here we go. I spy with my little eye something blue. No, it's not your feathers. Guess again. No, it's not the rug. Nope. Not my jar of blue raspberry jelly beans. Give up. It was this tiny piece of blue lint in my pocket. See? I win. Okay, your turn. You spy with your little lie someone who's cheating and I spy. Well, I have no idea to whom or what you could be referring. Let's just move on to the Q and A segment. The Q and A segment. All right, let's just get the old answering machine pulled up here. Okay, here we go. Hi, you've reached Dennis from We wow on the Weekend. That's me. Do you have a question? Well, I do too. Lots of them. And who's gonna answer all my questions. You? Probably not, but I guess I can answer yours. Leave me a message.

[C]

Hello. My name is Domino. I live in Ushuaia, Argentina.

[A]

Hi, Domino.

[C]

Dennis. Why are strawber strawberries red?

[A]

Why are strawberries red? Oh, I know this one. Yeah, it's because they're embarrassed. Well, strawberries don't have the riz of a raspberry or the cool, mysterious vibes of a blueberry, so they're kind of blushing about it, which is actually pretty cute. But embarrassed strawberries is not the important question here. I think the more important question is, what's the deal with gooseberries? Because, Reggie, they don't look anything like a goose. Oh, wait. Do gooseberries turn you into a goose when you eat them? They don't. See, I think this just proves my point. Gooseberries. I'm on to you. Next question.

[C]

Hi, I'm Elijah, and I'm from Maplewood, New Jersey.

[A]

Hi, Elijah.

[C]

My question is, how do you understand Reggie?

[A]

How do I understand Reggie? Good question, Elijah. It's actually quite simple. I just listen to him and understand what he says. You know what? Reggie's much better at explaining it than I am. Reggie, you want to take this one? Social cognition. Right? Wow. I couldn't have put it better myself. Thanks, Reggie. Next question.

[C]

Hi, Dennis. Do you know why butterflies are called butterflies even though they are not made out of butter?

[A]

Wow. Great. Do I know why butterflies are called butterflies even though they are not made out of butter? Maybe butterflies smell like butter. Reggie, do butterflies smell like butter? No. Okay, well, maybe they make butter. Then. Reggie, do butterflies churn butter and that's where butter comes from? No. Right. Well, maybe butterflies eat butter. Reggie, do butterflies. Okay, they don't eat butter. They eat nectar. Well, maybe it was a typo. Like, maybe butterflies were supposed to be named flutterbys because they flutter on by you, but someone wasn't paying attention and wrote down butterfly instead. Yeah, like a happy little accident. It was a happy accident. A happy accident. Someone messed up, but that's okay. Well, that's enough voicemails for now, listeners. If you've got a question for me, call and leave me a message. The number is 1-888-7-WOW. Wow. That's 1-888-7-WOM. Wow. I just might answer your question on Wee Wow on the weekend. That takes care of that. Okay? Up next is a little segment I like to call Inside Tinkercast Studios. Ahem. Inside Tinkercast Studios. This is the part where we listen to an episode of one of my favorite Tinkercast podcasts. And today we're listening to season three, episode 21 of wow in the World called getting nosy about the science of smell. Hey, I'm in this one. Yeah, I yell a bunch of helpful information over the fence. I know. Guy Raz and Mindby are so lucky to have me listening in on their every word. Okay, here we go. And play

[C]

Wee. Wow will be right back.

[A]

Grown ups.

[C]

This message is for you.

[A]

Whoa. You're listening to Bongo in the big two in the morning on kwow. Hey, Bongo, guess what time it is. Looks to be about 6, 7:40am no, it's time for Big toot's big favorite big secret. Oh, yeah, the part of the show when you, big Toot, hit us with your favorite new song. What you got for us today? All right, today's big favorite is a song from a new artist called wow in the world. Well, what's the song? It's called the scientifically most danceable song in the whole wide world. Wow, that's a big title. Yeah. Let me spin you up a clip. The scientifically loved danceable song in the world A wide world. The scientifically most danceable danceable song. Whoa too. That was totally rockin'. Where can we listen to the rest of the song? Anywhere you get your tunes, Bongo. They're out on Spotify, Apple Music or wherever you like to spin your tracks. Well, thanks for tuning in to Big two's big favorite here on Bongo in the big two in the morning on kwow. Bye bye now. Later.

[C]

That's it. Now back to the show.

[A]

What in the world. Smells?

[C]

Get your free spells, buy one snip and get a whip free. I'm talking deals here. People go on to find me.

[A]

What are you doing?

[B]

The sun's not even up. You're gonna wake up the whole neighborhood.

[A]

And it's about time. Wake up, sheeple.

[C]

Good morning, Guy Raz. Can I interest you in a jar of freshly ground coffee?

[B]

Well, as long as I'm up, I might as well take you up on that offer. Just stay right there. I've got to grab my robe and I'll be down in a minute.

[C]

Who wants some fresh odors? I've got bacon frying, freshly cut gr blown out birthday candles, cool mountain air.

[B]

Okay, Mindy, I'm up and at em. How about that jar of freshly ground coffee?

[C]

Oh, sure, Reggie. One jar of freshly ground coffee coming right up. Here you go, Guy Raz. That will be free. 99 plus tax.

[B]

Uh, Mindy?

[C]

Yeah?

[B]

This is just an empty jar. Where's the coffee?

[C]

Uh, it's in the jar.

[B]

Mindy, I know what coffee looks like, and I can assure you that there is nothing in this jar.

[C]

Well, that's because smells are invisible, Guy Raz.

[B]

Smells?

[C]

Yeah, if you want your freshly ground coffee smell, you're going to have to open that jar.

[B]

You woke me up and got me out of bed for nothing.

[C]

Open the jar, Guy Raz.

[B]

Okay, invisible coffee, what's next? Mindy, this jar won't open.

[C]

That's because I put a childproof lid on it. Here, let me take a crack at it. There. Your freshly ground coffee smell.

[B]

Ah, you weren't kidding, Mindy. This coffee smell is almost as good as the real thing. Now, where is the real thing?

[C]

Oh, I don't know. Maybe Dennis House or something. Dennis?

[A]

What?

[C]

You have coffee?

[A]

Oh, boy, do I ever. I have fresh single origin beans imported from Peru's Cajamarca region, hand picked and sorted, fully washed and sun dried, roasted to perfection. And here we have a. Oh, my carafe. Never mind. I don't have coffee.

[B]

Mindy, are all of these empty jars filled with odors?

[C]

Well, yeah. I mean, look here we've got the smell of wet clothes left in the washing machine for three days. And this one is that super specific convenience store smell. And this one over here is rotten eggs.

[A]

Ooh, that one smells like Uranus.

[B]

What?

[C]

What?

[A]

Uranus, the planet. It's made up of gas called hydrogen sulfide. Bears an uncanny resemblance to rotten eggs. Surprised you didn't know that.

[C]

Okay, well, scientifically speaking, he's not wrong. Thanks, Dennis.

[A]

You're welcome.

[B]

So, Mindy, do you have any good odors in these jars?

[C]

Yeah, let me see here. Oh, try this one.

[B]

Ah. What is that? The smell of a pile of dirt?

[C]

Dirt? No, you're smelling beets. You know, that purple root vegetable that you roast in the O and eat on salads turns your poop pink.

[B]

Well, you know, for some reason, beets have always smelled like dirt to me. What else you got?

[A]

Huh?

[C]

Let me. Hmm. Ooh, I know. Here, try this one. What do you think?

[B]

Huh? I think that one might be completely empty, Mindy.

[A]

Actually, Guy, I can smell it from here. It's lily of the valley.

[C]

Yeah, you're right, Dennis. This one is lily of the valley.

[B]

Lily of the valley? As in that highly poisonous woodland flowering plant?

[A]

Exactly. My mother would wear the scent every fall as I left home for boarding school. She said it signified the return of happiness. How my mother loved boarding school.

[B]

What is he talking about, Mindy?

[C]

Okay, so the scent of Lily of the Valley is one of those smells that skincare and beauty product companies are always trying to recreate.

[B]

You mean for like, perfumes and soaps and lotions?

[C]

Yeah. It contains this chemical called Borginol. And for a lot of people like Dennis, even a tiny droplet of this stuff can smell super intense.

[B]

But what about for people like me who can't smell it at all?

[C]

Well, you're not alone, Guy Raz. You see, this geneticist named Casey Trimmer, she got together with a team of researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses center in Philadelphia and Rockefeller University in New York City. And she and her team set out to find out why different people smell different things differently.

[B]

And just to be clear, a geneticist is the type of scientist who studies how certain things features are passed down from different generations of people. Right, Right.

[A]

Like how I inherited my mother's sense of smell and my great grandfather's sense of entitlement.

[B]

So I'm wondering, did Dr. Trimmer and her team suspect that genes, or what makes you, you and me me have some kind of role to play in the way different people experience different smells?

[C]

You know it. So she and her fellow researchers decided to conduct a little science scientific experiment.

[B]

Oh, I love a little scientific experiment. What do they do?

[C]

Well, I could tell you. Yeah, but I'd rather show you. Come on, help me lug all these smells to the olfactory in my backyard.

[B]

Olfactory? Mindy, isn't the olfactory system literally your sense of smell?

[C]

Yeah, but while you were sleeping, I built a literal ol factory in my backyard. I wanted to have a place where I could bottle up and reproduce all my smells.

[B]

How long was I sleeping?

[A]

Oh, boy. Finally, something I can help with. Let me consult my Eavesdropper Almanac. Huh? Okay, let's see. Says here 10pm Guy begins snoring loudly. Then 2:05am Guy mumbles incoherently in his sleep. 3:31am Guy wakes up and reads a text message I sent him. Dennis. 3:34, guy texts back. New phone. Who dis. 3:35, I text.

[B]

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Just a minute. Before we dive into any stinky experiments, can we just talk about our olfactory scents or how we humans are able to smell in the first place?

[C]

Sure. Let me see your nose. Here, Guy Raz.

[A]

What? Oh, Mindy.

[C]

Okay, so inside your nose, way up there, through your nostrils, are about 400 different odor detecting receptors. Now let's count them. 1, 2, 3, 4.

[B]

Mindy, get your fingers out of my nose.

[C]

You know the old saying, you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, and you can pick your best friend's nose in a pinch.

[B]

That is not how that saying goes.

[C]

Well, as I was saying, our noses are full of these little teeny, tiny smell receptors just waiting to catch the tiny molecules that come in through the air that we breathe.

[B]

And then what happens?

[C]

Okay, so when we breathe in those molecules through our noses, depending on the molecule, different receptors will activate or wake up and then work together to send that odor message to our brain. Our brains then process that smell and let us know whether it's good or bad.

[B]

Like freshly baked cookies or a sweaty sock. Yeah.

[C]

These receptors can also tell you whether the smell is recognizable or unrecognizable.

[B]

Like the smell of your own house or a food you've never tried before.

[C]

And of course, they can also tell you whether what you're smelling is safe or unsafe.

[B]

Safe like newborn babies or unsafe like the smell of harmful chemicals?

[C]

You got it. Our ability to smell is how our noses help us to make sense of the world around us.

[B]

And how many smells or scents or odors can our body's olfactory system actually detect?

[C]

Guy Raz, the human nose. Just like this one hanging off your face here.

[B]

Stop grabbing my nose, Mindy.

[C]

Guy Raz, your nose has the power to tell the difference between at least 1 trillion different smells. And I'm working on getting one of each of them bottled up in my new backyard Ol factory.

[B]

Whoa, Mindy, you made a life size model of a human nose? Wait, is that supposed to be my nose?

[A]

Surprise.

[B]

I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about this.

[C]

Come on, let's go inside.

[B]

Is there a door?

[C]

A door and a nose. Uh, that's what the nostrils are for. We're gonna climb in like the giant odor molecules that we are.

[B]

What?

[C]

I'll climb in first, and then I'll pull you up. Okay. Ew.

[B]

Grab onto my hand. Mindy. Why is it so sticky in here?

[C]

Sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you that we would be welcomed by a thick layer of mucus. But it will all be worth it when we get to the factory part. Just walk. Gross,

[B]

gross, gross.

[C]

Made it. Stepping through the smell receptor laser gate. Analyzing odor. Beef dog. Huh?

[B]

Beef dog?

[C]

Yeah. I installed a bunch of smell receptor sensors in the ol factory, and for some reason, every time I enter it, it recognizes me as the smell of a beef dog. Do I smell like a beef dog?

[B]

Okay, Mindy, this is surprisingly high tech.

[C]

Thank you very much.

[B]

Well, what Is it gonna think that I smell like?

[C]

Well, why don't you pass through the smell receptor and see for yourself?

[B]

Okay, passing through.

[C]

Analyzing odor. Italian white truffles and fresh unique.

[B]

What? I think I need a do over.

[C]

No time for do overs, Mr. Truffle Pants. Ooni face. Don't you want to see the rest of the ol factory? Now this is where the magic happens.

[B]

Whoa.

[C]

All of the machines you see here are bottling up millions of different smells, from dirty hot dog water to newborn.

[B]

And you built all of this while I was sleeping last night?

[C]

Well, yeah, with a little help from Reggie. Okay, a lot of help from Reggie. Okay, fine. Reggie basically built the whole thing while I ate corn chips and watched tv.

[B]

So, Mindy, you were saying earlier that those researchers at Rockefeller University conducted a scientific experiment to see why some people might experience smells differently?

[C]

Oh, yeah, that's right. And I wanted to recreate that experiment here in the olfactory.

[B]

Great. So do we have everything we need?

[C]

Let's see here. We've got 150 jars of different smells ready to go.

[B]

Okay, so assorted odors.

[A]

And.

[C]

And that's pretty much all we need. Oh, right. How could I forget? Thanks, Reg. We're also going to need 300 people.

[B]

300 people? How are we gonna get 300 people in your backyard nose factory?

[A]

Easy.

[C]

We're gonna get them to participate by giving them something for free. People love free stuff.

[B]

Free smells. Of course.

[C]

You're whiffing up what I'm putting down. Guy Raz. Be right back. Rin rin, rin, rin, rin rin. Attention, neighbors. Today only we're giving away free smells, so get them while they last. Rin rin, rin, rin rin rin. Okay, I'm back.

[B]

No luck getting 300 people to take you up on your offer of free smells, huh?

[C]

Well, you know. Everyone, please come in one at a time. Be civilized. Okay, Have a seat. Yep, just have a seat right there.

[A]

Free smells. Can you believe it? I hope my free smell is sea breeze. I want lemon tarts.

[C]

I need everyone to just be patient. The free smells are coming.

[B]

Mindy, what is happening?

[C]

I told you, Guy Raz. I'm just recreating the experiment that was conducted by the researchers in this study.

[A]

Excuse me. Will these free smells be good smells like cool mountain air and freshly baked bread? Or will they be bad smells like toots, farts, and flatulence?

[B]

They seem pretty restless for the free smells you promised. Mindy, I think we better get started.

[C]

Okay. Good morning, everyone, and welcome To Mindy's Olfactory and Odor Emporium. Now, before I give each of you the free smells that I promised, I am going to need you to participate in a little scientific experiment.

[B]

I knew it.

[A]

There's a catch. There's always a catch.

[C]

I'd like to introduce you to my lab assistants, Guy Raz and Reggie. Say hi.

[A]

Hi.

[C]

Now, throughout the course of this experiment, Reggie and Guy Raz here will be bringing out 150 jars of different odors, or as I like to call them, smells. I will instruct you on what smells to try. And then on a sheet of paper, you will rate the intensity of each odor on a scale of 1 to 7. One being that you find the odor extremely weak, and seven being that you find the odor extremely strong.

[B]

And I'm assuming three or four if it's somewhere in the middle.

[C]

You got it, Guy Razi. Next, on a scale of 1 to 7, you will rate how pleasant you found the odor to be. One if you found it to be extremely unpleasant, and seven if you found it to be extremely pleasant.

[A]

Let's do this.

[C]

Reggie, bring on the smells.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Wow, that's a lot of odor.

[C]

Mindy, friends and neighbors, what you're looking at here are 150 different odors collected, bottled, and in some cases, produced by yours truly. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. And now, let the experiment begin. Reggie.

[B]

Reggie, is this really happening right now?

[C]

First odor of business is cilantro. Guy Raz, please open the jar and release the odor.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And now I need everyone to take a thorough sniff and rate its intensity and pleasantness on a scale of one to seven. Ooh.

[B]

Are you sure that's cilantro, Mindy? It smells like soap.

[C]

I think Reggie begs to disagree. Guy Raz, next up, opening the jar of pee odor from a person who's been eating asparagus.

[A]

Indeed. Everybody sniff. Gross. Smells like normal pee to me.

[C]

Now, please rate your findings and feel free to include any notes you'd like to add. Reggie, please pass the next odor to Guy Raz. Guy Raz, go ahead and open the odor.

[B]

Okay. Please be something pleasant. Please be something pleasant.

[C]

The next odor of business is dad sweating after losing a game of racquetball. Smell. Oh, wait.

[B]

There's actually a scientific name for this odor. I think it's called androstenone. And while some people find it pungent and gross, other people think it smells like vanilla or they can't smell it at all.

[C]

And last but not least, drum roll, please. Guy Raz, please open the jar of human toot.

[B]

The toot?

[C]

Not just any old toot, Guy Raz. This is a certified and licensed grade A, gluten free, USDA approved organic Mindy toot.

[B]

You bottled your own toot?

[C]

Sure did. And there's more where that came from.

[B]

Oh, no, don't tell me you Guy Raz.

[C]

Like most humans, I average about 15 toots a day. And for the last 30 days, I have bottled every single one of them.

[B]

Which means?

[C]

Which means that every single person in this old factory is going to take home their own jar of certified organic Mindy toots.

[B]

Wow, humans really will take anything that's free.

[C]

But there's a cat. Before any of you leave here today, and before I give each one of you your free jar of toots, I'm going to need a small jar of your blood.

[A]

What?

[B]

No.

[C]

Anything for science Guy Raz.

[B]

There are limits to that, Mindy.

[C]

What are limits, Mindy?

[B]

You can't invite people to your giant backyard nose factory and take their blood.

[C]

Well, if I don't take everyone's blood, then how am I supposed to reenact and show you the rest of the experiment?

[B]

You know what? Why don't you just give these people their free smells and let them go, and then you can just tell me what happened after the researchers took the blood samples.

[C]

Fine. Everyone please line up single file and get your free smells. One for you, one for you. Thank you very much for participating in our study. One for you, one for you. Reggie, you wanna come over here and take over? My arm is getting tired from lifting all these jars of toots.

[B]

Okay, so once these trained and professional scientists, working in an actual laboratory, took the blood samples from the people who participated in the study, what did they do with them?

[C]

Oh, so Dr. Trimmer and her team took the blood samples back to another lab, and then they studied the DNA of each person.

[B]

And by DNA you mean the instruction manual for our bodies.

[C]

Right. And those DNA instructions are what make you you and me me. And in this experiment, the scientists wanted to get a good look into each person's blood so that they could study that instruction manual.

[B]

And what were they looking for?

[C]

Well, they were looking for and comparing different genes in each person's olfactory system.

[B]

The system of the body that helps us to smell.

[C]

Right. And what they found was pretty. Wow.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

What did they discover?

[C]

They discovered that even the tiniest change in even one of the 400 olfactory receptors.

[B]

Meaning those little smell sensors that send messages to our brains after catching odor molecules.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

They found that even the teeniest, tiniest change could completely change the way one person experienced a certain smell compared to another person.

[B]

So that would explain why Dennis could smell that Lily of the Valley plant and I could smell nothing at all.

[C]

Or why I might be smelling beets and you think you're sniffing dirt.

[B]

Or why some people might smell sweat while other people think they're smelling vanilla.

[C]

Or why I might smell Parmesan cheese and you might smell. Hang on. Gotta get the jar open. You gotta smell this guy, Raz. Okay, here we go. Smell this.

[B]

Ugh, that smells like vomit.

[C]

Thanks to your DNA, it does. But I can assure you that this is Parmesan cheese smell. I wonder if it works the other way around.

[B]

So, Mindy, now that we know that even the tiniest changes to our smell sensing olfactory receptors can change the way a person experiences smell, what can we do with this discovery?

[C]

Well, according to Dr. Trimmer, just knowing this is going to help us to better understand how smell might affect our overall health.

[B]

Yeah, I imagine our sense of smell actually plays a pretty big role in why we choose the foods that we do.

[C]

Yeah, but don't go around thinking you can just blame your DNA on why you like or don't like every smell. Believe me, I tried it.

[B]

Yeah, there can be lots of different things that can affect the way we perceive or experience smell.

[C]

Yeah. For example, the way we interpret smell is related to the same part of our brain that holds memories. And that plays a big role in how we're able to taste or smell different foods.

[B]

Speaking of which, are you catching a whiff of that smell coming from outside?

[C]

Yeah, but who would be grilling at this hour of the morning?

[B]

Probably someone who has woken up before the sun and whose body clock now thinks it's lunchtime.

[C]

Well, there's only one way to find out. Through the snotty nasal cavity.

[B]

The what?

[C]

Come on. Follow me, Guy. Raz. Ah, made it out of the old factory alive.

[B]

Mindy, we're covered in slime. What did you use to make this stuff?

[C]

Oh, I've been bottling up my runny noses for years. Finally found a good use for them.

[A]

Morning, Mindy. Morning, Guy. Hey, you two boogers want to come over for some burgers? Get it? Boogers?

[C]

Burgers.

[A]

Ah, you don't get it. Wow, that was so cool. And now I want burgers. Oh, yeah. And lily of the valley, I love reliving my fond memories of boarding school. The perfume Mother used to wear as she drove me 12 hours to count Montague's school for nosy little children. Anyway, let's wrap up the show and go fire up the grill for burgers. Reggie. Thanks to all you listeners out there for tuning into Wee Wow on the weekend. If you have a question for me, call and leave me a message at 1-888-7-WOW-WOW. That's 1-8887-WOW-WOW. I just might answer your question on WeWow on the weekend. Okay, let's go. So what do you want on your burger, Reggie? Barbecued earthworms? Reggie Ew. Well, I just thought you were more of a honey mustard earthworm kind of pigeon. What about ranch ketchup? Tzeky? Wait, is it pronounced Tziki or zaatsiki? Thanks for joining us for this edition of Wee Wow. Our show is written by Ruth Morrison and Jed Anderson. The role of Baby Dennis is played by Jed Anderson. Well then, who plays the role of Big Dennis? Never you mind, Teehee. Original sound design and production is done by Henry Moskal with contributions from Jed Anderson and Tyler Thole. Original music for WEW is composed and performed by Tyler Thole. Special thanks to Jessica Boddy, Rebecca Caban, Dr. Natasha Crandall, Kenny Curtis, Kristin Yang, Meredith Helpern, Ranzer, Thuy Mack, Jody Nussbaum, Ali Paxima, Guy Raz, Linda Ruffenberg, Steph Sosa, Mindy Thomas, Anna Zagorski, and all of the other tinkerers at Tinkercast HQ. Be sure to visit Tinkercast.com where you can become an official member of the world organization of wowzers. Learn about upcoming events, shop our wow Shop, find our best selling books, and learn about all the other amazing podcasts from Tinkercast. Thanks again for thinking, tinkering, experimenting and exploring with me this week. Be sure to check out episodes of wow in the world on Mondays 2 what's in a wow On Fridays and We Wow on the weekend with Dennis on the weekends. And remember who Wows. We Wow. Oh Baby Dennis. We wow. All right. We wow. Wow in the World was made by

[C]

Tinkercast and sent to you by Wondery.